Drive for a tufting machine

Abstract

A tufting machine has a needle bar drive mechanism including a first shaft on which drive eccentrics are mounted for driving connecting rod means which reciprocate the needle bar push rods and thus the needle bar. A second shaft is mounted adjacent the first shaft and gears mounted on the respective shafts are in meshing engagement with each other so that upon rotation of one shaft the other shaft rotates in the opposite direction. Counterbalancing weights on the needle bar driving shaft are disposed 180° out of phase with the reciprocation of the needle bar, and counterbalancing weights on the other shafts counterbalance the rotational forces of the needle bar driving shaft. The other shaft is drivingly rotated by the tufting machine motor and also carries the hook and knife drive eccentrics. The construction is such that the reciprocating and rotating forces are counterbalanced by the two shafts.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is: 
     
       1. In a tufting machine having a frame including a head and a bed disposed below said head, a needle bar mounted in said head for reciprocatory movement toward and away from said bed, a drive mechanism for driving said needle bar, said drive mechanism comprising, a first shaft journalled in said head for rotation about an axis, cam means eccentrically mounted on said first shaft at spaced locations, connecting rod means connected to a respective cam means, interconnecting means operatively connecting said connecting rod means to said needle bar whereby rotation of said first shaft causes said needle bar to reciprocate, a second shaft journalled in said head for rotation about a second axis, rotation transferring means mounted on said first and second shafts for drivingly rotating one of said shafts upon rotation of the other of said shafts, said rotation transferring means acting to rotate said one of said shafts in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said other of said shafts and equal in rotational speed, counterbalancing means mounted on said first shaft at a disposition 180° out of phase with the eccentricity of said cam means and the reciprocation of said needle bar for counterbalancing the reciprocating forces, counterbalancing means mounted on said second shaft at a disposition 180° out of phase with the eccentricity of said cam means and the reciprocation of said needle bar for counter- balancing the rotational forces on said first shaft, and power means for rotatably driving one of said first and second shafts. 
     
     
       2. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said rotation transferring means comprises gears on said first shaft in meshing engagement with respective gears on said second shaft. 
     
     
       3. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said power means is connected for rotatably driving said second shaft, and said rotation transferring means acts to drive said first shaft upon rotation of said second shaft. 
     
     
       4. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said power means is connected for rotatably driving said first shaft, and said rotation transferring means acts to drive said second shaft upon rotation of said first shaft.